Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PACKAGING ASSEMBLY FOR APPLIANCES WITH AN OVERWRAPPING FILM FOR TOP LIFTING
BACKGROUND
Field Of The Invention
This patent relates to packaging for large
appliances. More particularly, this patent relates to a
Clearview packaging assembly for basiloid handling
of appliances with irregular top surfaces.
Description Of The Related Art
Large household appliances with irregular shapes,
such as washers and dryers, traditionally have been
packaged in large six-sided corrugated boxes. Such boxes
protect the appliance from damage during shipping and
handling and may be moved with the use of a standard
forklift truck. The boxed appliances may be stacked if
sufficient structural support is provided. This may be
accomplished by inserting vertical support posts inside
the corrugated box between the box interior walls and the
appliance. Support posts may be positioned around the
corners of the appliance and/or along the sides of the
appliance. When packaged in a corrugated box of this
type, the appliance is not visible.
See-through containers for large~appliances have
been proposed in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,891,086, 4,811,840
and 5,307,928. These proposed see-through containers
generally comprise top and bottom caps, corner support
posts extending between the top and bottom caps, and
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heavy plastic see-through wrapping. The top and bottom
caps may be secured to the support posts with horizontal
retaining bands, as in U.S. Patent No. 3,891,086, or
vertical retaining bands, as in U.S. Patent No.
5,307,928. When packaged in this way the appliances can
be moved with standard fork lift trucks or with basiloid
lift trucks.
A basiloid lift truck lifts an appliance container
by the top cap instead of by the bottom of the container.
Basiloid lift trucks have a vertically oriented lift
blade extending from an upper frame that is secured to an
elevator mechanism mounted on the front end of the lift
truck. To lift an appliance having a top cap, the
vertical blade is placed in flat contact with the side of
the packaged appliance. As the elevator mechanism raises
the lift blade, the top edge of the blade extends into
the crease between the side of the package and the
downwardly extending lip of the top cap. The lift blade
is raised until a horizontal lifting bar mounted on the
blade abuts the bottom edge of the top cap lip. The
appliance can then be lifted off the floor by the
elevator mechanism and moved. The lift blade must be
slightly shorter than the top cap lip so that the blade
does not pierce the top cap.
If the package is built properly, the force of the
blade lifting at the top of the unit is transferred to
the bottom of the unit. No significant force is applied
to the front edge of the top cap opposite the basiloid
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blade. However, when a second packaged appliance is
placed on top of the first unit, the weight of the top
unit, since it is not all on top of the basiloid flap,
tends to shift forward. As the weight of the top unit
shifts forward, the front edge of the bottom unit top cap
deflects downwardly, a phenomenon referred to as
trapezoiding. As the front edge of the bottom unit
deflects downwardly, the top unit tips forward and can
fall off. The front edge of the top cap can deflect up
to six inches or more, depending on the vertical space
between the front edge of the top cap and the top surface
of the irregular shaped appliance.
One method for preventing trapezoiding of packages
containing irregular shaped appliances is to use a
standoff made of a resilient material such as expanded
polystyrene to take up the space between the top cap and
the appliance top surface, thereby transferring the force
from the top appliance directly to the top surface of the
bottom appliance. However, standoffs waste material and
put extra undue force on the bottom of the bottom
package.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to
provide a see-through packaging assembly that maintains
its structural integrity during basiloid lifting and
handling.
A further object of the present invention is to
provide a packaging assembly for irregular shaped
appliances that resists trapezoiding during basiloid
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lifting with a second unit on top.
A still further object of the present invention is
to provide a packaging assembly having an integral
basiloid flap formed by the cooperation of the top cap
and a separate basiloid piece.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide a clamshell-type packaging assembly that can be
easily installed over an appliance mounted on a base pad.
Further and additional objects will appear from the
description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.
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S'ITNa2ARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a packaging assembly for an
irregular top appliance, that is, an appliance having a
relatively flat top surface and a raised portion
5 extending above the top surface, typically in the rear.
The packaging assembly comprises a clamshell-like
framework that is glued together prior to installing it
over the appliance, and a transparent polymer film
wrapped tightly around the framework after it has been
installed over the appliance.
The clamshell-like framework is made from a
corrugated top cap, front and rear corner posts, two
bottom pieces and a basiloid piece. The top cap has a
large flat top panel, substantially triangular shaped
side panels extending downward from opposite sides of the
top panel, and a rear flap separated from the top panel
by a fold line that functions as the clamshell hinge.
The two front corner posts are glued to the triangular
shaped side panels. The lower ends of the two front
corner posts may be glued to one of the bottom pieces to
form one half of the clamshell.
The basiloid piece has a rear panel and a basiloid
flap separated by a fold line. The top cap rear flap and
the basiloid flap are glued together to form a basiloid
handling flange which facilitates lifting and moving of
the packaging assembly with the appliance contained
therein by a basiloid fork lift truck. The two rear
corner posts are glued along their upper ends to the
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basiloid piece rear panel and along their lower ends to
the second bottom piece to form the other half of the
clamshell.
The clamshell framework can be easily installed over
an appliance mounted on a base pad. The framework and
appliance, except for the basiloid flap, is wrapped in a
transparent polymer wrapping material, leaving much of
the appliance visible. The basiloid flap is retained by
a horizontal retaining band to from the completed
structure.
With conventional see-through packages, the downward
force caused by a second unit stacked on top during
basiloid lifting can cause the front edge of the bottom
unit top cap to deflect downward, a phenomenon referred
to as trapezoiding. This deflection can continue until
the front edge of the top cap meets the top surface of
the bottom appliance, causing the top appliance to tip
forward.
The present invention prevents such trapezoiding by
providing substantially triangular-shaped side panels
glued to the front corner posts. The front corner posts
abut the front vertical corners of the appliance. During
basiloid lifting of two stacked appliances, the downward
force from the top unit to the front edge of the top cap
is transferred to the front corner posts and then to the
front vertical corners of the appliance. The front
vertical corners prevent the corner posts and top cap
from rotating about the clamshell hinge, thereby
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preventing the trapezoiding associated with conventional
see-through appliance packages.
The front corner posts serve as an extension of the
triangle defined by the top cap sidewalls, and serve to
spread the force created by the top unit during basiloid
lifting to an area along the entire front vertical edges
of the bottom appliance. If the front corner posts are
not glued to the top cap, the top cap could slide
downward along the front corner posts, resulting in
trapezoiding.
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THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the packaging
assembly framework of the present invention shown before
installation over an appliance.
Figure 2 is a top view of a blank from which the top
cap of the present invention is formed.
Figure 3 is a top view of a blank from which the
basiloid piece of the present invention is formed.
Figure 4 is a top view of a blank from which the
bottom pieces of the present invention are formed.
Figure 5 is a side view of the packaging assembly
framework of Figure 1 shown partly installed over an
appliance.
Figure 6 is a side view of the packaging assembly
framework of Figure 1 shown containing an appliance and
wrapped in transparent wrapping to form the complete
packaging assembly.
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the
packaging assembly of Figure 6.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a packaging assembly
comprising a framework and transparent wrapping. Turning
to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 one
embodiment of a framework made according to the present
invention. The framework 10 is designed for basiloid
handling of irregular top appliances, and comprises four
structural support members 12, 13, 14 and 15, two bottom
pieces 30, a top cap 40 and a basiloid flange piece 50.
l0 The assembly framework 10 has a two-piece hinged design
that installs easily over an appliance 20.
In one common anticipated application shown in
Figure 5, the appliance is mounted to a base pad 60 that
supports the appliance 20 during assembly and handling.
The base pad 60 may be formed of wood, paper and
paperboard, expanded foam, or any other suitable material
or combination of materials. The base pad may be made
from a combination of low and high density materials,
such as the type manufactured by Sonoco Products Company
under the trademark SonobaseTM, which is the subject of a
pending United States patent application.
After installation over an appliance, the packaging
assembly framework 10, with the exception of the basiloid
handling flange 70 to be described later, is wrapped in
transparent plastic film 80 ("Clearview") that allows
much of the appliance 20 to be seen (Figure 6). A
retaining band 28 is tightly wrapped around the top end
of the top cap 40 and the basiloid handling flange 70 to
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maintain the flange 70 in the proper position during
basiloid lifting and handling. The final packaging
assembly, including the framework 10 and transparent
wrapping 80, may be referred to as a Clearview basiloid
5 pack.
For the purpose of the following description, the
modifiers "left", "right", "front" and "rear" shall refer
to the left, right, front and rear sides of the appliance
to be packaged.
10 Figure 2 shows a cardboard blank used to form the
top cap 40. The blank has a top panel 41 defined by fold
lines 42a, 43a, 46a and 47a, the width and depth of the
top panel being determined by the dimensions of the
appliance to be packaged. In the assembled framework 10,
left and right side panels 42, 43 extend downward from
the top panel 41 and are glued to the two front corner
posts 12, 13. Preferably the side panels 42, 43 are cut
at an angle so that they are substantially triangular in
shape, with their front edges extending farther down than
their rear edges. Preferably, the front edges of the
side panels 42, 43 extend near or below the plane defined
by the top surface 21 of the appliance 20 (see Figures 5
and 6 ) .
Referring again to Figure 2, the left side panel 42
is folded along fold line 44a to create a left front flap
44 that is folded at a right angle to the top panel 41
and glued to the left front corner post 12. Likewise,
the right side panel 43 is folded at a right angle along
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fold line 45a to create a right front flap 45 that is
then glued to the right front corner post 13. A front
panel 46 extends downward from the front edge 46a of the
top panel 41 and is glued to the upper portions of the
left and right front flaps 44, 45.
Referring now to Figures 2 and 7, a fold line or
hinge 47a separates the top panel 41 from a short rear
flap 47. This hinge 47a allows for the framework's
clamshell operation. After installing the framework 10
over an appliance 20, the short rear flap 47 extends
downward from the top panel 41 and terminates at upturned
edge 49. An inner flap 48, which is a continuation of
the top panel 40, extends upward from the edge 49
parallel to rear flap 47, defining a space therebetween
to accommodate a separate basiloid flap 55 as will now be
described.
Figure 3 is a top view of a blank used to form the
basiloid piece 50. The blank has a rear panel 51 defined
by fold lines 53a, 54a, a lower edge 54 and a down turned
edge 55a. As shown in Figure 6, the basiloid piece 50
preferably extends below the plane defined by the top
surface 21 of the appliance 20. The basiloid piece 50
forms a three-sided shell around the rear elevated
portion 23 of the irregular shaped appliance 20. Tn the
assembled framework 10, left and right side flaps 52, 53
extend from the rear panel 51 and are glued to the upper
portions of the rear left and right corner posts 14, 15
respectively.
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As best shown in Figure 7, a basiloid flap 55
extends downward between the rear flap 47 and the
upturned inner flap 48 of the top cap 40 and is secured
therebetween by glue or other adhesive means to form a
basiloid handling flange 70. After the framework 10 is
installed over an appliance 20 and wrapped in transparent
film 80, a retainer band 28 is wrapped tightly around the
upper portion of the assembly to retain the basiloid
handling flange 70. The basiloid flange 70 is three
layers thick and has a lower edge 49 that bears the
lifting force of a basiloid blade.
The basiloid handling flange 70 preferably extends
about six to fourteen inches downward from the top panel
41 and is held in place by the retaining band 28. The
purpose of the flap 70 is to accommodate the basiloid
lifting blade of a basiloid fork lift truck. The
basiloid blade (not shown) is inserted into the slot 71
between the basiloid flange 70 and the rear panel 51 of
the basiloid piece 50. The basiloid blade has a rounded
top edge so that the forklift operator doesn't
inadvertently hook the blade into the plastic film cover
70 and rear panel 51 of the basiloid piece 50. The
basiloid blade is slightly shorter than the length of the
basiloid flange 70 so that, when fully inserted into slot
71, the top edge of the blade does not pierce upper edge
55a of the basiloid flap 55.
When fully installed, a horizontal bar mounted on
the basiloid blade abuts the lower edge 49 of the
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basiloid flap 55 to lift the package and appliance. The
retaining band 28 keeps the basiloid flap 55 in position
during lifting.
Figure 4 shows a cardboard blank used to form each
of the bottom pieces 30. The blank has a bottom panel 31
defined by fold lines 32a, 33a, 36a and edge 37. As
shown in Figure 1, and with respect to the front bottom
piece 30, side panels 32, 33 extend upward from the
bottom panel 31 and are glued to the sides of lower
portions of the front left and front right corner posts
12, 13 respectively. The left and right side flaps 32,
33 are folded at about a ninety degree angle to form
front flaps 34, 35 which are glued to the lower front
surfaces of the front corner posts 12, 13. A front flap
36 extends upward from the bottom panel 31 and is glued
to the lower outer surfaces of the front flaps 34, 35. A
similar blank is used to make the rear bottom piece 30
which is glued to the rear corner posts 14, 15.
To assemble the packaging framework 10, the four
corner posts 12, 13, 14 and 15, two bottom pieces 30, top
cap 40, and basiloid flange piece 50 are glued together
as shown in Figure 1 to form the packaging framework 10.
The packaging framework 10 is then slipped onto an
appliance 20 resting on a base pad 60 in clamshell
fashion as shown in Figure 5. With the basiloid handling
flange 70 extending generally horizontally, a tight clear
poly covering 80 is wrapped around the appliance 20 and
package framework 10. When the wrapping process is
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)
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complete, the basiloid handling flange 70 is folded down
to the position shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the metal or
plastic retaining band 28 is wrapped tightly around the
top of the Clearview basiloid pack.
When installed around an appliance 20, the packaging
assembly is resistant to the trapezoiding phenomenon that
can occur when irregular shaped appliances are packaged
inside conventional appliance packages, stacked one on
top of the other, and lifted with a basiloid blade. This
resistance to trapezoiding is due to the unique structure
and geometry of the Clearview basiloid package.
An important feature of the package assembly is the
substantially triangular-shaped sidewalls 42, 43 that
extend downward to an area near or below that top surface
of the appliance 20. The top cap and sidewalls are glued
to the front corner posts 12, Z3 which abut the front
vertical corners of the appliance 20, thereby resisting
rotation of the top cap side walls 42, 43 about the hinge
47a. Preferably, the triangular shaped side panels 42,
43 extend below the top surface of the appliance 20, but
the system is also operable if the side panels 42, 43
extend downward to an area slightly above the top
surface .
The front corner posts 12, 13 serve as an extension
of a side of the triangle defined by the top cap side
panels 42, 43. Gluing the top cap 40 to the front corner
posts 12, 13 prevents the top cap from sliding down the
corner posts 12, 13, which would result in trapezoiding.
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During basiloid lifting, the corner posts 12, 13 spread
the downward force caused by the top appliance unit to
those areas along the front vertical edges of the bottom
appliance 20 that contact the corner posts 12, 13.
5 During basiloid lifting of two stacked appliances,
the downward force from the top unit along the front edge
of the top cap 40 is transferred to the front corner
posts 12, 13 and then to the front vertical corners of
the appliance 20. The front vertical corners prevent
10 rotation of the corner posts 12, 13 and the top cap 40
glued thereto. Thus the trapezoiding associated with
conventional see-through appliance packages is avoided.
Preferably, the bottom pieces 30, top cap 40 and
basiloid piece 50 are made from corrugated board,
15 although other suitable materials may be used. In the
preferred embodiment the corner posts 12, 13, 14 and 15
are formed of multiple sheets of paper laminated together
in a sufficient number of layers to provide adequate
structural strength. Other corner post materials are
contemplated, such as convolutely wound paperboard,
recycled paper, treated paper, mixtures of paper and
paperboard, and corrugated board. The corner posts must
be able to be glued to the top cap. The corner posts 12,
13, 14 and 15 may be of the type manufactured by Sonoco
Products Company of Hartsville, South Carolina under the
trademark Sonopost.
Thus there has been described a Clearview packaging
assembly for basiloid handling of irregular top
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appliances that prevents trapezoiding of the package when
picked up by a basiloid fork lift truck with. another
packaged appliance on top. The packaging assembly
prevents trapezoiding without using the top of the
appliance for support.
Other modifications and alternative embodiments of
the invention are contemplated which do not depart from
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the
foregoing teachings and appended claims. It is intended
that the claims cover all such modifications that fall
within their scope.
